All It Takes
by funstt
Summary: Sometimes all it takes is a dire circumstance for someone to realise the importance of another. Two part story.


Ray Beech entered the cafeteria with a feeling of relief. He'd just finished his chemistry test and now that it was over he could finally relax and looking forward to the weekend. It was Friday which always put him in a good mood, though who wasn't in a good mood this close to the weekend?

He did a quick scan of the area to see the cheerleaders and his soccer teammates had saved him a seat at his favourite table. All was in order for the blonde headed heartthrob.

Opting for a sandwich and an apple, he paid for his lunch then purposefully walked the long way to his seat so he could torment his favourite Lemon Head on the way. Oh how he enjoyed their arguments, though he'd never admit that out loud.

Luckily for him, he didn't even have to come up with an excuse to go over there as his best friend was sitting at their table in between Stella and his girlfriend, Mohini.

"Scott, buddy, what are you doing over here today?" He asked, feigning an overly cheerful tone.

Scott shook his head but smiled none the less, "Hanging out with these awesome people."

He winked at Mo who nodded approvingly.

"Awesome? That's one word for it," Ray said loudly, trying to bait Stella into retaliating. He just couldn't help but love riling her up.

Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be paying attention to him at all but to a guy Ray recognised from his English class. Edgar? Emett? Edward. He was pretty sure that was his name, anyway. Disappointed that she wasn't paying attention to him, he pretended to study his apple while focusing on the conversation next to him.

"I just think you're really awesome, Stella. You're always taking a stand for what you believe in," Edward was saying. He sounded very nervous to Ray, his voice was going up and down in pitch.

"And I was wondering if you'd want to be my girlfriend?"

Ray scoffed, no one just out and out asked someone to be their significant other. Out on a date sure, but not just to be in a relationship. It was a very full on way of doing things if you asked him.

Stella apparently had similar thoughts as Ray could see out the corner of his eyes the surprise on her face, her eyebrows high and eyes wide.

"Oh! Um, thanks for the offer…" She began.

"Edward." The guy interjected bitterly.

"Right, Edward. Look I'm really flattered and I'm sure you're a really great guy but I'm just not looking to date anyone right now." She trailed off awkwardly and Edward's face had gone completely blank, all but his eyes which were narrowed.

"Okay then, Stella." Edward replied tersely, before turning abruptly and stalking away.

Ray let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and smirked, "Aw look, Yamada, are you sure you want to say no? I'm not sure you can really afford to be picky."

Stella's head whipped in his direction, glaring fiercely and he knew she'd taken the bait. She stood up and came closer to him, pointing a finger at his chest.

"Beech, just because you will date anything that moves doesn't mean the rest of us will. I don't even know that guy. And you're just a jerk, I'd rather him to you any day."

Ray frowned briefly, "Yeah, you wish Yamada. You'd never be able to get someone as great as me. You might as well settle for being alone forever."

"Pfft, I'd never want you anyway. And there's nothing wrong with being alone. Some of us aren't so insecure."

"Me? Insecure? Please, Yamada I'm lucky to be able to look in the mirror every day and see this gorgeous face."

"Argh, you're so arrogant!"

"And you're so self-righteous!"

"Douschbag!"

"Mess!"

"Jerk!"

"Los-"

Stella could see the exact moment when something went wrong. Mid-sentence, Ray looked over her shoulder and whatever he saw caused his eyes to reflect terror.

"GET DOWN!" Ray screamed and threw Stella to the ground, crushing her body with his own.

Ray heard terrified screams around the room and a loud bang. A gunshot. There was silence and all he could hear was laughter coming from Edward.

"You think I'm not good enough for you Stella? Well this is me standing up for myself and my right to be heard!" He was yelling, a manic expression on his face as he laughed uncontrollably.

There was a loud crash and Ray looked back to see that Scott, Wen and Charlie had tackled Edward to the ground, the gun lying a meter or so away from his body. They were holding him down and yelling for the cops.

Ray let out a breath of relief and turned back to Stella, who was still underneath him.

She was looking at him and seemed to whisper something, "Ray."

"Yeah?" He whispered back.

Did his t-shirt feel wet?

He looked down in horror as he realised it was covered in blood.

"Stella!" he yelled frantically, she was bleeding and from what he could tell she had been shot somewhere around her lower stomach.

He could hear voices around him but he didn't care. All he could focus on was her. She couldn't die now. She couldn't leave him here. Not like this. Yeah they fought but he just loved the challenge of being near her.

"Stella!" He screamed again as he clumsily felt around for her pulse. He could feel it beating lightly and he looked into her eyes.

"No, Stella, no," he muttered as he tried to do something. Anything. He tried to cover the wound with his hands, he wasn't sure what to do and he faintly reflected on the fact that he'd opted out of first aid.

"Somebody help!"

He distantly felt someone grab at him but he shook them off roughly. He wouldn't leave her. No one could make him.

He leaned closer to her and put his hand lightly on the top of her head.

"It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine. I promise."

She looked to nod slightly and he felt arms on him again, trying to pull him back.

"No!" He shouted, "Get off me!" He fought to be by her side until someone grabbed him back so forcefully that he could see himself moving further away from him.

When had the paramedics arrived? He could now see them moving in to help her. He wasn't sure what they were doing but there were at least four of them trying to help her.

Good, he thought, this was good. This was the help they needed.

"RAY!" He heard his name being screamed and he looked up to his right, tearing his eyes away from her limp figure.

There were eyes staring at him throughout the entire hall, he now noticed, but it was Scott who had called to him.

Ray didn't say anything. He couldn't find his voice so he just looked at Scott, who looked back with tears in his eyes and Ray wondered how long it had been since he was just standing a few metres away, trying to rile Stella up.

"Ray." Scott was calling his name again.

Ray just stared and felt himself being pulled away. He fought to stay until he realised that Stella was no longer in front of him.

He felt the bile rise in his throat and he realised just how much he needed some air, and even more so, just how much he needed to go and be with her. To make sure she was okay.

"Have, to. I have. Go," He managed to string out the words and they felt weird on his tongue.

Scott had pulled him out some doors and then he noticed the other Lemon Heads were there with them. Most of them were crying. Charlie held Mo in his arms. That was nice, Ray thought. He was looking after her while Scott busy trying to help him. What an odd thought to have, he mused to himself.

He felt weird. Blank. Like he wasn't really there.

There were cop sirens next to them, Ray noticed. He wondered why he hadn't heard them before.

"Ray, I want to help you." Scott was saying.

Ray was about to reply when he saw a police officer with Edward in handcuffs. Before he knew it he had Edward up against a nearby pillar.

"How could you do this?!" Someone was screaming. And it took him a minute to realise it was his own voice. He was screaming.

Once again, Ray felt himself being pulled away and even with the anger he was feeling, he realised he didn't have the energy to fight back.

A police officer was in front of him now, she seemed to be addressing all of them.

"- has been taken to the local hospital and they are going to do everything they can. It's best if you stay here and wait for your teachers to instruct you further."

He could hear Olivia and Wen protesting, "No, we want to see her now. We can't just leave her alone, surely you understand."

The police officer shook her head sadly, and Olivia broke down into sobs on the ground.

Ray realised he needed to do something, he was the best with words here and he needed to pull himself together.

"We will be silent. We'll just sit there in the waiting room and we won't even bug the nurses we'll just wait until her parents are there to tell us what's going on."

Ray could see her resolve was crumbling and she sighed, "Okay. But we will drive you there, there's no way I'm letting any of you get behind the wheel in this state. Give me a few moments to clear it with your principal."

Ray nodded in relief and he was caught off guard when he felt Mo crash into the front of him.

"Thank you so much, Ray." Mo was crying and Scott gently pulled her off of him so that Ray could get some air.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Wen asked, almost as if he was talking to himself.

"We have to believe that she will be," Scott replied so firmly that it almost made Ray believe it himself.

The police officer came back and ushered them into two different police cars and after what felt like forever, Ray found himself being ushered through the hospital and sitting in the waiting room.

"Ray," Scott whispered, getting the blonde's attention, "You should probably get washed up. Do you want me to come?"

"Why?" Ray found himself asking and Scott's mouth fell open before he gestured at his body.

Ray looked down, only to find himself covered in blood that clearly wasn't his own.

"Oh." Was all he managed to get out before he felt the bile rise up in his mouth once more, except this time he wretched violently into the bin next to him.

At some point he felt a hand on his back, rubbing up and down soothingly and when he was finished he looked back to find both Mo and Scott standing next to him.

Scott dragged him to the bathroom and Ray found himself looking in the mirror, wondering whose face that was staring back. After cleaning himself up and brushing his teeth with one of the vending machine toothbrushes, they walked back to the others.

Ray wasn't completely clean, his clothes were still covered but his hands and face were clear of all blood now.

They sat in silence for a while, the occasional sob breaking free from someone, Ray never looked up to know who it was each time.

"You saved her," Olivia whispered so softly that Ray almost didn't catch it.

He looked up to see all of the Lemon Heads staring at him and he felt himself choke up as he uttered, "No. I didn't save her or we wouldn't be here."

His voice broke in the middle of the sentence and Olivia broke out in sobs once more, followed by Mo, even Scott and Wen were crying. Charlie just sat there staring at the floor, occasionally squeezing his hands together then looking at the Intensive Care Unit sign that was next to them.

"You tried though," Mo piped up, she had managed to control her crying a little bit, "You tried to save her and I'm grateful for that." There were murmurs throughout the room and Ray nodded, feeling a little like crying himself.

 **To Be Continued...**


End file.
